Fourth to michael j



Patented Dec. l3, I898.

A. J. UHARA.

CAR BRAKE.

(Application filed Max:- 22, 189B.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

INVENTOI? v LZZ h --'"5 ATTORNEY.

% W/TNESSE N0. 6l5,739. Patented Dec. l3, I898.

A. J. UHARA.

CAR BRAKE.

(Applic atio n filed Mar. 22. 1898.) (N0 Model.) I Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

g r: H /ll v 1 l e, 1 54 P9 1 I -///AI N Q Q i X I! H 1 W H s'v'vg'" hion" 'lNVENTO/Y UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. OHARA, OF PORT J ERVIS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTI'I TOMICHAEL J. HOWLEY, OF HONESDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,739, dated December13, 1898.

Application filed March 22, 1893. Serial No. 674,769. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. OHARA, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Port Jervis, in the county of Orange and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes,of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in brakes for cars; and itconsists in the novel features and combinations of parts hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in thedrawings I support the brake mechanism directly from the car-axles andequip the said brake mechanism with shoes adapted to engage both theupper and inner side surfaces of the track-rails. The brake-shoes arecarried upon the outer ends of the crossed levers, which may be operatedfrom either end of the car and which upon being moved toward one anothereffect the application of the brake-shoes to the trackrails and whenmoved in a direction from one another permit of the release of the shoesfrom said rails. t

The brake made the subject hereof is intended as an emergency-brake, andto this end in the construction of the brake I have provided means foraffording to the brakeshoes great clutching power against thetrackrails.

I illustrate in the drawings and description hereinafter given thepreferred embodiment of the invention; but I do not wish to be limitedto all of the details of construction shown and described nor to havethe invention limited further than indicated in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom view of acar equipped with brake mechanism constructed in accordance with andembodying the invention, the track-rails being indicated by dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of same. Fig. 3is a vertical transverse section of same on the dotted line 3 3 of Fig.1; and Fig. 4: is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of one ofthe arms connected with the brake-shoes.

In the drawings, A designates the car, B

the wheels thereof, and O the track-rails, which rails are engaged bythe brake-shoes hereinafter described.

The brake mechanism is suspended from the car-axles D, and, as clearlyillustrated in the drawings, said mechanism is supported from thelongitudinal bars E E, extending, as shown in Fig. 1, from one axle D tothe other axle D, and which bars E E are connected at about their centerby the transverse bar F, the latter being directly con;

nected at its ends with the hangers G, suspended from the lower side ofsaid bars E E, as more clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Upon the lower side of the transverse bar F are pivotally secured thecrossed but corresponding levers HH and I I, which levers at their innerends are slotted, as indicated at J, and loosely connected togetherbythe pins K L entering the slots J, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thelevers H H and I I are secured to the transverse bar F by the fixedbolts M M, and at their outer portions, beyond said bolts M, said leversextend laterally toward the carwheels and terminate in convenientposition with respect to the track-rails O to have the track brake-shoesN rigidly connected with them. The track-shoes N have the lower surface0 to bind against the top of the trackrails O and the vertical surface Pto bind against the inner sides of said rails. The upper surfaces of theshoes N are formed with ears, between which are pivotally secured thelower ends of the hanger-rods Q, which rods, as shown in Fig. 2, inclinedownward and outward to the brake-shoes N and are pivotally secured attheir upper end to the brackets R, (shown in Fig. 1,) fastened to thesides of the longitudinal bars E. The hangerbars Q, connected with thebrake-shoes N, are made in the two parts illustrated in Fig. 4- that isto say, the upper internally-threaded part of sleeve S and the lowerpart T, entering said sleeve-in order that said bars Q may be madeadjustable as to their length, and in this manner be accurately adjustedto the cars and shoes N, and also be madeto compensate for any wear uponthe lower surfaces of said brake-shoes. The lower part T of thehanger-bar Q is externally threaded to engage the internal thread of theupper or sleeve part S of said bar, and upon the lower part T isprovided a jam-nut W, by which the part T maybe locked in any desiredposition with respect to the sleeve part S.

The bolts M M, upon which the crossed levers H II and I I are secured,extend freely upward through apertures in the transverse bar F and carrythe coiled springs X, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower ends of said springsresting upon the upper surface of said transverse bar F and the upperends of said springs being confined by the washers upon the upper endsof said bolts M.

The springs X X allow of a limited downward depression of the outer endsof the crossed levers H H and I I during the application, in the mannerhereinafter described, of the brake-shoes to the track-rails, and saidsprings X will have sufficientforoe during the usual travel of the carto maintain said levers H H and I I in their upward position against thetransverse bar F. Upon the bolts K L, connecting the inner meeting endsof the levers II II and I I, are secured the links lettered a b,respectively, which links are in duplicate on each bolt K L, as moreclearly illustrated in Fig. 3, and respectively carry upon pins (1 e thetrunnions f, the form of which trunnions f is more clearly illustratedin Fig. 3.

The movement of the levers H H and I I to effect the application of thebrake-shoes N to the track-rails C may be effected from either end ofthe car A by means of the pivoted levers g h, provided in convenientposition to be grasped by the motorman or conductor of the car,and whichlevers are respectively connected with the cords or chains, lettered 2'j, respectively. The cord or chain '5 extends from the lower end of thelever 9 around the trunnion carried by the links I) and then back to thepin (Z, carried by the links a, to whichpin (Z the end of the cord orchain '5 is secured. The chain or cord j extends from the lower end ofthe lever h inward around the trunnion f, carried by the links a, andthence back to the pin 6, carried by the links Z2, to which pin e theend of the cord or chain j is secured.

The levers g h are duplicates of one another, and the two levers areprovided in order that the brake mechanism may be operated from eitherend of the car. Upon the movement of either of the levers g h to pulloutward on the cord or chain connected with the special lever moved theinner meeting ends of the levers H II and I I will be drawn toward oneanother, and this movement of said levers will cause their outer ends tomove toward one another, and, thereby the brake-shoes N are broughttoward one another and upon the track-rails O. The moving toward oneanother of the shoes N N is on the arcs of circles, and hence as saidshoes move toward one another the inner vertical flanges P thereof arecaused to bind against the inner sides of the rails C, as shown in Fig.3, while at the same time the flanges O of said shoes are drawn downwardand bind upon the upper surfaces of the track-rails. The shoe-hangers Qare of such length that the shoes N cannot pass inward toward oneanother beyond a certain fixed limit, and hence during the approach ofsaid shoes toward one another said shoes are forced downward by thehangers Q and compelled to engage the upper surface of the rails C. Theshoes N travel 011 the arcs of circles under the action of the levers HH and I I and also under the action of the shoe-hangers Q, and thus theshoes are compelled to effectually engage the trackrails and brake thecar. The cords t'j correspond with one another, and each cord engagesboth t-runnions f in order that by the pulling action of either cord theinner ends of the levers II II and I I may be brought toward oneanother, the bolts K L during such action passing along the slots Jformed in said levers and acting against the sides of said slots to movethe inner ends of said levers inward toward one another. The levers IIII and I I operate to strongly clutch the track-rails, and said leverswhen arranged as shown and described possess great effective power inbraking the car.

The fact that the levers H II and I I are suspended from the car-axles Dis of importance in that by reason thereof the brake mechanism is notsubjected to the jarring to which car-bodies are subjected and alwaysmaintain a uniform relation with respect to the trackrails.

The application of the brake-shoes to the track-rails may, as abovedescribed, be effected from either end of the car and by either of thelevers g h, and the release of the brakeshoes from the track-rails maybe effected by the use of springs in, extending upward and outward fromsaid shoes to the longitudinal bars E, or in any other suitable waydesired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In a car-brake, the substantially horizon= tally-arrangedpivotally-mounted crossed levers H, H, at one side of the car, and thesubstantially horizontally-arranged pivotallymounted crossed levers I,I, at the other side of the car, combined with brake-shoes carried atthe ends of said levers and intermediate the car-wheels, the hanger-barsconnected with said brake-shoes, and means for drawing the inner ends ofthe levers H, H, toward one another and the inner ends of the levers I,I, toward one another and thereby causing the outer ends of said leversto approach one another at each side of the car and press said shoesagainst the track-rails; substantially as set forth.

2. The car-brake comprising the pivoted 1evers H, H, and I, I, crossedand connected and extending transversely across the car, combined withthe brake-shoes at the outer ends of said levers, the hanger-barsconnected with said brake-shoes and adjustable as to length,

and means for actuating said levers from either end of the car to applysaid shoes to the track-rails on the movement toward one another of theinner ends of said levers; substantially as set forth.

8. The car-brake'com prising the pivoted levers H, H, and I, I, crossedand connected and extending transversely across the car, combined withthe brake-shoes at the outer ends of said levers, the hanger-barsconnected with said brake-shoes,the spring-supports for said leverswhereby the said levers may yield downward when the shoes are applied tothe rails, and means for actuating said levers; substantially as setforth.

4. The car-brake comprising the pivoted levers H, H, and I, I, crossedand connected and extending transversely across the car, and a framingsuspended from the car-axles and to which said levers are secured,combined with the brake-shoes at the outer ends of said 1evers, thehanger-bars connected with said brake-shoes, and means for actuatingsaid levers to apply said shoes to the track-rails on the movementtoward one another of the inner ends of said levers; substantially asset forth.

5. The car-brake comprising the pivoted levers H, H, and I, I, crossedand extending transversely across the car and at their meetin g innerends being slotted and provided with pins entering said slots andconnecting said ends, combined with the brake-shoes at the outer ends ofsaid leversand of a shape to engage the top and side of the rails, thehangers connected with said shoes, the yielding supports for saidlevers, the levers at opposite ends of the car, and connections fromsaid levers to the inner ends of both said levers H, H, and I, Isubstantially as set forth.

6. The car-brake comprising the brakeshoes adapted to engage the rail ateach side of the car, and the pivoted hanger-bars sus-' pended from arigid part of the truck and connected with said shoes, combined withlever mechanism also connected with said shoes and adapted to cause saidshoes to approach one another and be thereby depressed upon thetrack-rails by said hanger-bars, and means for operating said levermechanism,said mechanism being arranged to exert a direct force onsubstantially horizontal lines against said brake-shoes to drive themtoward one another; substantially as set forth.

7. The carbrake comprising the brakeshoes adapted to engage the top andinner side of the rail at each side of the car, and the pivotedhanger-bars suspended from a rigid part of the truck and connected withsaid shoes, combined with lever mechanism comprising the substantiallyhorizontallyarranged crossed levers in pairs connected at their out-erends to said shoes, and means for actuating said levers to move saidshoes at each side of the car toward one another and against the sidesof said rails and thereby causing them to be depressed upon said railsby said hanger-bars; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 21st day of March, A. D. 1898.

ARTHUR J. OIIARA.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. GILL, E. J os. BELKNAP.

